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Angeli Vanlaanen took a three-year break from competitive skiing to recover from Lyme Disease and then came back strong enough to clinch a spot on the inaugural U.S. Olympic Team for halfpipe skiing. (Getty Images/AFP/Javier Soriano)

Olympians David Wise and Maddie Bowman both grabbed X Games gold at the halfpipe skiing final in Aspen Friday night, just a few weeks before the historic halfpipe skiing debut at the 2014 Winter Olympic Games in Sochi, Russia.

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Angeli Vanlaanen brings new definition to the term “comeback”. After taking a three- year hiatus from competitive skiing to recover from Lyme Disease, Vanlaanen returned to the freeskiing scene with more hunger and passion than ever and landed herself a spot on inaugural U.S. Olympic Halfpipe Team. Vanlaanen started her 2013-2014 season as an Olympic hopeful, and with her signature smooth style and amplitude she sealed podium finishes at the first and last Olympic qualification events and clinched her ticket to Sochi. There, she proudly represented her country and finished 11th in the first-ever Olympic halfpipe skiing event. Vanlaanen also finished third in the AFP Halfpipe World Ranking after the most grueling competition season to date.

Angeli Vanlaanen emerged from the Northwest into the halfpipe skiing world with back-to-back wins at the Vermont Open in 2005 and 2006. Her first X Games invite in 2007 kicked off her professional career, and she went on to place third at the U.S. Open and first at the New Zealand Open that year. After being diagnosed with Lyme Disease in November of 2009, Vanlaanen took a three-year break from competition to recover. Her comeback season kicked off with a second-place finish at the New Zealand Open in 2012 and then wrapped up with a sixth in the FIS World Championships and a ninth in the 2013 AFP halfpipe rankings.

ANGELI SAYSThis winter has been the most dynamic season of my competitive career. Earning a spot on the inaugural U.S. Olympic Halfpipe Team, an X-Games invite (which brought me back to Aspen for the first time since my comeback) and rounding out the year third in the AFP Halfpipe World Ranking was a dream come true. I’m excited to continue building on this momentum next season!

FIRST TRACKSVanlaanen started skiing at age eight with her family at Mount Baker, WA on the weekends. She followed her brother, Cachaulo, everywhere once she could keep up. Her grandparents skied, her mom is a mountaineer and her Aunt was a big skier back in the hot dog days. Her mom, Allain, grew up skiing in Wisconsin and moved to Washington to ski the Cascades. After the kids grew up, Allain started touring, going on backcountry hut trips and alpine climbing. That love of the mountains continued with Vanlaanen, who spends as much time as possible in the backcountry.

OFF THE SNOWVanlaanen invests her time in LymeLight, her campaign to spread awareness about Lyme Disease, which includes a 30-minute documentary sharing her story. In addition, Vanlaanen enjoys ballet, figure skating, and soccer, which all have contributed to her grace, fluidity, and strong athleticism on skis.